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Digital audio vs vinyl

I must admit I agree with most of this article as I think it honestly compares the merits of both. I feel the final conclusion to be true but I am not so stuck in the vinyl camp as I was as I have heard a system that made me feel there could be room for digital in my life if only I had the cash.

From what I have heard the lines between excellent analog and state of the art digital are blurred even more.

Many ways of skinning a cat but I'd agree that Digital is approaching Vinyl now, even for the poorer of us as Technology improves.

The main reason people have abandoned vinyl is not digital technology, but the convenience of portability. That exodus started happening in the 1970s (I bought my first walkman in 1979).

As in everything else, ignorance is bliss. If you don't know any better, you may work diligently on building your state-of-the-art digital sound system. You may end up mighty pleased with how it sounds, and your friends may also get blown away by your system.

However, all it takes is a single exposure to a really good record playing system to dispel the dogmatic haze that's building around the digital sound reproduction kingdom. Listeners with sensitive, even average ears, will immediately notice that something is fundamentally different with analog playback. And most people will be forced to conclude that state-of-the-art vinyl is incredibly seductive.

Don't you just hate it when you cannot detect where the post ends and a signature line begins?

I must admit I agree with most of this article as I think it honestly compares the merits of both. I feel the final conclusion to be true but I am not so stuck in the vinyl camp as I was as I have heard a system that made me feel there could be room for digital in my life if only I had the cash.

From what I have heard the lines between excellent analog and state of the art digital are blurred even more.

I would agree that digital can approximate the sound quality of vinyl, but under one proviso: that we're comparing digital playback to the LP that hasn't been properly washed and vacuumed. But as soon as the LP gets properly cleaned, forget it!

Don't you just hate it when you cannot detect where the post ends and a signature line begins?

The main reason people have abandoned vinyl is not digital technology, but the convenience of portability. That exodus started happening in the 1970s (I bought my first walkman in 1979).

As in everything else, ignorance is bliss. If you don't know any better, you may work diligently on building your state-of-the-art digital sound system. You may end up mighty pleased with how it sounds, and your friends may also get blown away by your system.

However, all it takes is a single exposure to a really good record playing system to dispel the dogmatic haze that's building around the digital sound reproduction kingdom. Listeners with sensitive, even average ears, will immediately notice that something is fundamentally different with analog playback. And most people will be forced to conclude that state-of-the-art vinyl is incredibly seductive.

Dont think i am ignorant of the sonic abilities of vinyl.

Regards,
Grant ....

I've said it before and I'll say it again: democracy simply-doesn't-work

However, all it takes is a single exposure to a really good record playing system to dispel the dogmatic haze that's building around the digital sound reproduction kingdom. Listeners with sensitive, even average ears, will immediately notice that something is fundamentally different with analog playback. And most people will be forced to conclude that state-of-the-art vinyl is incredibly seductive.

I would agree 100% with that, but coupled with the fact that most will never have heard what digital sound is *truly* capable of [haven't owned equipment able to reveal its full potential], and so in some ways limits their ability to judge just how much better vinyl is in comparison.

Trust me, that last bit is crucial to the whole concept of 'digital audio vs. vinyl'

I would agree 100% with that, but coupled with the fact that most will never have heard what digital sound is *truly* capable of [haven't owned equipment able to reveal its full potential], and so in some ways limits their ability to judge just how much better vinyl is in comparison.

Trust me, that last bit is crucial to the whole concept of 'digital audio vs. vinyl'

Marco.

Are you referring to the 'excellent digital reproduction only underlines the digital nature of the signal'?

Don't you just hate it when you cannot detect where the post ends and a signature line begins?

For me, very good digital playback, quite simply doesn't sound 'digital', in the sense that many assume it, based on their experience to date of listening to it, as much of what's considered as wrong, simply doesn't exist, and merely an artefact of poor design.

As I've said before, if your turntable makes vinyl sound 'vinyl-ly', or your CD player makes CD sound 'digital', then they're most likely not making the most of their respective formats, as experience shows it doesn't need to be like that.

When either is truly *right*, one is too immersed in the music itself to remotely be concerned whether one is listening to vinyl or digital. That is the reality: the music is showcased in all its glory, first and foremost, not the respective traits of the playback equipment.

In that respect, it's rather like driving: you never notice the best drivers on the road, because they're just doing what they're good at, thus don't draw attention to themselves - and so it is with the best vinyl and digital sources. What's 'noticed', therefore, is simply the music